Speim fob time pieces



(No Model.)

M. WHEELER.

I AUXILIARY GOVERNING SPRING FOR TIME PIECES.

No. 336,4 0. Patented Ee 16, 1886.

v r. i z 1 -llll A W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARSHAL VHEELER,i OF VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

AUXILIARY GOVERNING-SPRING FOR TIME-PIECES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 336,460, dated February16, 1886.

Application filed October 27, 1885. Serial No. 181,206.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARsHAL WHEELER, of Vashington, District ofColumbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTime-Pieces; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of thisspecication.

My invention relates to an improvement in time-pieces; and it consistsin, first, the combination ofY the mainspring, and an auxiliary springwhich is connected thereto, and which is wound and unwound at the samerate of speed as the mainspring, and which auxiliary spring serves tocounterbalance the power of the mainspring; second, the combination ofthe mainspring, the auxiliary spring, the two barrels in which thesprings are placed, and

which are made to gear together so as to revolve in opposite directions,the winding-post to which the inner ends ofthe two springs areconnected, a mechanism for causing the motion of the principalwinding-post to be transmitted to the other when the springs are beingwound up, and a mechanism for transferring the unwinding motion of themainspring to the winding-post of the auxiliary spring, all of whichwill be more fully described hereinafter.

The object of the invention is to govern or equalize the power of themainspring by interposing a resistance which shall be greater when thespring is first wound and at its highest tension, and which shall begradually reduced as the mainspring unwinds and its tension becomesless. The result accomplished by the fusee and chain in English watchesis of the same character. I accomplish this re` sult by the employmentof a supplementary spring so connected for winding with the mainspringthat both are woundsimultaneously, but having such gearing between themthat the supplementary spring is wound at one end by the unwinding ofthe mainspring while it unwinds at the other, the two motions being soproportioned that the resistance to the power of the mainspring shall bereduced in proportion to the reduction of its tension.

(No model.)

Figure l is a side elevation of a timepiece embodying my inventioncomplete. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan View. Fig.4 is a horizontal section taken through the barrels of the two springs.Fig. 5 is an inverted view. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the revolvingwinding-click attached to the main winding-post. Fig. 7 is a verticalsection taken on the line x x of Fig. 3.

A A represent the two winding-posts, to which the inner ends of the twosprings L F are connected. The spring L is the mainspring of the watch,and the one, F, the auxiliary spring, which is used to connterbalancethe pressure of the mainspring upon the works, and thus prevent vanyuneven pressure upon the works when the mainspring is fully wound ornearly unwound. The outer ends of these two springs L F are connected tothe inner sides of the two barrels F L', and the springs are coiled inthe same direction, as shown in Fig. 4. These barrels F L are looselyconnected to the winding-posts A A', so as to re-V volve independentlyof them. Each barrel is provided with teeth, as shown, and these teethmesh together, so as to cause the barrels to always revolve in oppositedirect-ions.

Secured to the winding-post A by means of the plate B is the revolvingwindingclick B, which operates in connection with the internal ratchet,C, formed on the under side of the wheel C'. This click B being fastenedto the winding-post A by means of the plate B', to which it is pivoted,moves with the shaft in both directions, whether the shaft is beingrevolved in one direction to wind np the two springs F L on isunwinding. Vhen the shaft A is revolved in one direction, for thepurpose of winding the spring, this click engages with the ratchet C andforces the wheel C around, for the purpose of transferring 'the windingmovement, through the wheel C and the idler lD, to the wheel E, which isrigidly secured to the winding-post A. By this construction all parts ofthe movement of one Winding post are transferred to the other, so thatboth springs are wound at the same rate of speed. NVhile the mainspringL is unwinding the winding-post A stands still, and hence no back motionis communicated from this shaft by the gear E and idler D to the wheel Con ICO ' the main winding-post A. The windingpost A is made to revolvein only one direction, and that while the two springs are being woundup; but the post A revolves in one direction while the springs are beingwound up and in the opposite direction while the springs are unwinding.

Motion is communicated to the works of the time-piece through the pinionl?, which meshes with the teeth of barrel L. Also engaging with the theteeth ofthe barrel L is a pinion, N, which is secured to the same shaftas the Crown`wheel O. The crown wheel O in revolving communicates motionto the shaft K through the pinion Q on one end. Upon the opposite end ofthe shaft. K from the pinion Q is the worm-gear R, which meshes with thewheel J, which is placed loosely upon the windingpost A. This wheel J inrevolving carries with it the. click H, which engages with theratchet-wheel I, which is secured to the main winding-postA so as torevolve with it. This click H and ratchet-wheel I serve to prevent anybackward movement on the part of the winding-post A when the springs arebeing wound up. As the wheel J is made to revolve by the worm and gearR, this click H remains in gear with the ratchet-wheel I, and thewinding-post A, ratchet I, click H, and wheel J all revolve backward atthe same time, so as to unwind the auxiliary spring from its inner end.While the mainspring L is unwinding the auxiliary spring F is beingunwound from its inner end by means of the winding-post A at the sametime that its outer end is being wound up through the motions of thebarrels F L. The two barrels in revolving in opposite directions causethe spring F to be wound at its outer end at the same time that the mainwinding-post A is being made to revolve twice as fast as the barrel F',and thus the spring F is being unwound at the same rate of speed as themainspring. By means of the worm-gear f R, ratchet I, click H, and wheelJ the windingvpost A is made to move twice as fast, and unwind thespring F at its inner end while it is being wound up at its outer end bythe motion of the two barrels F L. The spring F, it will f be seen, isdriven entirely by the mainspring L, and takes no part in driving theworks of the time-piece, but simply acts as a counterbalance upon themovements ofthe mainspring L, and upon the movement of the time-piecewhen the spring is first wound up, and when there is an excess of power,or when the spring is nearly unwound and when there is a lack of power.The action of the mainspring upon the auxiliary spring is positive, andhence any movement of the barrel L, caused by the spring L, is instantlycommunicated to the auxiliary spring F, which spring F serves only as acounter-balance upon the spring L, so as to insure a constant unvaryingmotion upon the train ofwheels,escapement, and balance-wheel. The twosprings L F are of the same length and-strength; but the mainspring L iskeyed upon afeweturns, and the stop-works are set so as to yprevent thisspring from uncoiling the few extra turns which are given to it over thespring F.. The consequence is that the spring L is wound to a greaterdegree than the spring F, and hence will exert a greater power than theone F, and it is just that amount of this extra power that is used inoperating the timepiece. Y

The number'of teeth in the barrels, the pinion N, crownwheel O, pinionQ, and wheel J, and the Obliquity of the thread of the wormgear R may bevaried at will; but they should be so proportioned to each other thatthe spring F is unwound at its inner end twice as fast as it is wound upat its outer end, and hence the relative strength of the two springsalways remains the same. If the pinion N, which meshes with the barrelL', has seven teeth and the pinion Q has seven teeth, the

crown-wheel O should have forty-nine teeth. Then the distance that theworm R shall at each revolution move the wheel J depends entirely uponthe Obliquity or pitch which is given to the thread of the worm, As thespring F is to be unwound twice as fast at its inner end as it is woundup at its outer end, the pitch of the worm is such that the wheel vJ isdriven vjust fast enough to unwind the spring twice as fast as it iswound at its outer end.

The mechanism above described is here shown and described only inconnection with a time-piece; but it is evident that it may be IOOemployed wherever a spring-motor is used for driving the mechanism ofany kind and for any purpose. I do not therefore limit myself to atimepiece, for the same mechanism may be used in a music-box, aspring-motor, or in any place where the motive power is communicatedthrough a spring, and a steady and even motion is desired.

I claiml. In a timepiece, the combination of the mainspring with anauxiliary spring, which serves to retard the motion of the main one, thetwo being geared together so as to be made to wind and unwind at thesame time, substantially as shown.

2. The combination, in a time-piece, of the mainspring, the auxiliaryspring coiled in the same direction, the two barrels which contain thesprings and which are geared together so as to revolve in oppositedirections, and a mechanism which is operated by the barrel of theVmainspring, for unwindin g the auxiliary spri ng as the main oneunwinds, substantially as described.

3. In a time-piece, the combination of the mainspring, the auxiliaryspring coiled in the same direction, and the barrels for the springs,geared together so as to revolve in opposite directions, with amechanism which is conneeted to the winding post, whereby both springsare wound up together, and a mechanism connected to the barrel of themain- IXO spring for unwinding the auxiliary spring, substantially asset forth.

4. The combination of the two windingposts and a mechanism forconnecting them together, the two springs which are connected at theirinner ends to the posts and coiled in the same direction, the twobarrels to which the springs are connected at their outer ends, andwhich barrels are placed loosely on the posts, and geared together so asto revolve in opposite directions, and a mechanism connected to theauxiliary spring, for causing it to unwind with the main one,substantially as specified.

5. The combination of the two windingposts A A", the two springs L F,connected thereto and coiled in the same direction, the two barrelsplaced loosely on the posts and geared together so as to revolve inopposite directions, and a mechanism, substantially as shown, connectingthe two. parts together so that both springs are wound at the same time,substantiallyl as described. Y

6. The combination of the two windingposts, the springs connectedthereto and coiled in opposite directions, the barrels having the outerends of the springs connected thereto, and placed loosely on the postsand geared together. so as to revolve in opposite directions, a windingmechanism connected to both posts, and a mechanism for unwinding theauxiliary spring faster at its inner end than it is wound up at itsouter end by the barrel of the mainspring, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof lax mysignature in presence of two Witnesses.

v M. WHEELER.

Vitnesses:

F. A. LEHMANN, A. S. PA'rTisoN.

